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Lidstrom, Fedorov enter Hall of Fame together in fitting tribute

Teammates for 10 years, duo are eighth and ninth members of Detroit’s 2001-02 Stanley Cup-winning team to get a Hall pass. Others in this year’s class are Chris Pronger, Phil Housley, Angela Ruggiero and builders Bill Hay and Peter Karmanos.

Nicklas Lidstrom poses with his new Hockey Hall of Fame ring at Friday's ceremony. The former Red Wings defenceman, a seven-time Norris Trophy winner, will be inducted into the Hall at this weekend's ceremony. (Chris Young / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

To Nicklas Lidstrom, it’s special that he and Sergei Fedorov are going into the Hockey Hall of Fame together.

To Fedorov, it was inevitable.

“Being roommates for a long time, playing on the power play with him a lot, playing penalty kill with him a lot too, we can’t leave each other’s side,” said Fedorov. “It had to happen.”

Lidstrom and Fedorov received their Hall of Fame rings on Friday, the first event of a busy Hall of Fame weekend, along with Phil Housley, Chris Pronger, Angela Ruggiero and builders Bill Hay and Peter Karmanos.

“It’s special to go in with Sergei . . . we were teammates for such a long time and it’s special because we had success, too,” said Lidstrom.

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They say when you win a championship in hockey, you walk together forever. But the 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings might be taking things to the extreme.

Teammates for 10 years, Lidstrom and Fedorov are the eighth and ninth members of that Stanley Cup team to get a Hall pass. A 10th — Pavel Datsyuk — will quite likely wind up enshrined as well, and that team was coached by another Hall of Famer, Scotty Bowman.

“Can’t do that now,” mused Bowman. “You can’t keep them all.”

One imagines today’s Chicago Blackhawks might send four or five to the Hall one day — Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook come to mind. But today’s salary cap issues mean stars just can’t migrate to teams that have the best chance of winning.

“That ’02 team was star-studded,” said Lidstrom. “We knew we could have success. Scotty was the mastermind behind that. He made everyone play as a team whether you’re on the fourth line or playing the most minutes. Scotty made it all work.”

Lidstrom and Fedorov are the 49th and 50th members of the Detroit Red Wings to join the Hall. Only the Montreal Canadiens (54) and Maple Leafs (55) have more. And the Leafs got the edge thanks to one game played by Housley.

Housley has ties to Bowman, who had seen Housley play high school hockey and knew right away he wanted him on his team.

“He took the puck down the ice, through the whole team, like Paul Coffey,” said Bowman. “I said ‘I don’t need to see anymore.’ We needed a defenceman.”

Bowman was then GM and coach of the Buffalo Sabres, who had the sixth overall pick in 1982. Bowman made a deal with the Washington Capitals, who picked fifth, to stay away from Housley.

”It worked out for them okay,” said Bowman. “They took Scott Stevens. Housley was great. He loved to carry the puck, (work the) power play. He had a good hockey mind. But he could fly, nobody could skate like him.”

If there is a theme to this year’s Hall class, it’s defence.

Lidstrom, with seven Norris Trophies, is arguably be the best defenceman of his generation.

Housley was one of the best rushing defencemen of his time.

Pronger was feared for the way he played and his heavy hits at the blue line.

Ruggiero was a long-time defender for the U.S. women’s team.

“Forwards get praised left and right, goalies save the day and defenceman are usually (left out),” said Ruggiero. “Being in a class of four defenceman, that’s special. I loved watching those guys on TV. And I skated with a few of them. I can appreciate their talent.”

Even Fedorov, a centre most of his career, played defence when the Wings needed him.

“In Russia, we have large rinks,” said Fedorov. “And centres are taught to play responsibly defensively and on offence. Most of the time, you don’t have the puck, so you have to play defence. Coming to the NHL where the rinks were smaller, I could transition to that when the team needed it.”

The group will be officially inducted into the Hall at a ceremony on Monday.

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